Prioritising Dartford homes for Dartford residents

Dartford Reform councillors are fighting bulk acquisitions of new homes by outside councils.

An investigation led by Cllr Ryan Waters confirmed Basildon bought 86 homes at Knights Reach in June and exposed Labour-run Newham’s plan, later withdrawn, to acquire another 153.

Had both deals proceeded, they would have involved 239 homes, almost one in three of the 763-home development, raising serious questions about who Dartford’s new homes are being built to serve.

Dartford has already experienced enormous housing growth, bringing congestion and pressure on schools, GP services and infrastructure. Reform opposes the scale of housebuilding imposed on our communities by Conservative and Labour governments. Where additional homes are built, they should primarily meet local needs.

Residents must not carry the burden of development only for outside councils to sweep in and acquire homes for their residents. By exposing these deals and requesting information, Reform is demanding transparency over how the properties will be used, their impact on services and the safeguards needed to give residents a meaningful voice.